End Phase
by Omega19x
Summary: With a destined duel on the horizon, a lot is at stake for the pharaoh. But a lot more is at stake for the monsters within his deck, where the graveyard takes on a whole new meaning. COMPLETE
1. Fate is often Cruel

This is a work of fanfiction. Therefore all the characters beyond this point belong to someone else, not me. If they belonged to me, it would simply be called fiction.

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"Remember… I swore eternal servitude to the great pharaoh… when I was alive…" Dark Magician whispered, his breathing labored. "And I will continue to battle… as I am ordered by my Lord."

"Master, please…" Dark Magician Girl struggled to hold the violet-clad spellcaster on his feet. She didn't understand why he insisted on saying that before every battle, but it didn't matter much at the moment.

She had been one of the lucky ones that time. Fate had allowed her to stay safely hidden at the bottom of the deck, away from the brutal battlefield they had come to know as 'the duel.'

Dark Magician, however, did not share that lucky fate. This was the second time in one day that he found himself in the starting hand, and the fifth time this week he was summoned to the battlefield in defense of the Lord's life points.

The toll this massive war of duels had taken on Dark Magician was more than evident.

Gashes and abrasions covered his body. His armor hung lopsided over a dislocated shoulder. The blast from the opposing Blue Eyes White Dragon had broken several ribs. Given his ragged breathing, Dark Magician Girl could only speculate on the internal injuries her master likely received as well.

"We're almost there, master…" the young spellcaster whispered as Dark Magician stumbled. She held him tighter, inching slowly to the makeshift infirmary that Mystic Elf had constructed deep within the deck. All of the monsters referred to it, with nervous laughter, as the 'Graveyard.'

"Oh my… not again." The holy elf gasped as she saw the pair of magicians approaching the tent. She rushed towards them. "Queen's Knight! Jack's Knight! Help me, please!"

Two armored men followed her from the tent, taking the injured magician into their arms.

"The cot next to Black Luster Soldier is open." Mystic Elf added, lowering her head worriedly. "Hurry…"

"You'll heal him up again, won't you, Mystic Elf?" Dark Magician Girl asked weakly, as her master's pain became audible during the exchange. The healer waited until her newest patient was out of sight before addressing the apprentice spellcaster.

"I will do my best." She answered. "But any duel monster, no matter how powerful their attack strength, can only be healed so many times…"

Dark Magician Girl cringed.

"The number of duels has vastly increased, as has the strength of the combatants." Mystic Elf continued. "We have scarcely enough time to recover from injury, before we are summoned again by the Lord to the duel. Dark Magician, he seems to bear the worst of the lot."

Dark Magician Girl could only nod.

"I had finally pulled out the last of the shrapnel from Fortress Whale's attack this morning when he was summoned again with a spell card." She sighed. "He cannot take much more of this."

"I know…" Dark Magician Girl sighed as well. "Just… heal him… okay?"

The healer bowed slightly, and turned away. The young spellcaster watched as the tent flap fell behind her.

"I will do my best." She said again. It was all she could say.


	2. A Whole Different Duel

"Hey, great duel, Yugi!" Jonouchi exclaimed, giving his friend a gentle punch on the shoulder.

"You said it! You really let that little Kaiba have it on that one. That blue eyes white dragon didn't stand a chance against that fissure magic card you drew!" Honda added.

"It was the heart of the cards." Yugi smiled, nodding at Anzu. She smiled back.

Mokuba Kaiba stood from the table where he and the King of Games had been dueling.

"They're right." The smaller boy sheepishly agreed. "You beat me fair and square. But you're still going to have a tough time beating my brother! He duels circles around me!"

"I still appreciate you helping us train, Mokuba." Yugi replied kindly, reaching down for the millennium puzzle that hung around his neck. "This is going to be an important duel for the other me. Even if Kaiba doesn't believe in fate, I sure do."

"I still don't understand why dueling my big brother's that important to the spirit that lives in your big pendant." Mokuba asked. He jumped up from the table, sliding the exact copy of his older brother's deck back into his left pocket. "You fought him in Duelist Kingdom and in Battle City!"

"Not with the same stakes, Mokuba." Yugi answered.

"That's right." Honda exclaimed. "This time, now that Yugi has all three Egyptian God cards, it's a whole different duel!"

Yugi thought back to what Isis had shared with him in the museum. Standing under the stone tablet, his destiny, and that of the pharaoh, never seemed so real. The stone depicted a battle between the pharaoh and one of his priests. The priest bore an uncanny likeness to Mokuba's brother, Seto Kaiba.

"Isis said that once the pharaoh possesses the three god cards, he'll be able to unlock a portion of his memory." Yugi sighed. He wanted more than anything to help the pharaoh learn about his past. "She translated some of the hieroglyphics. The tablet said that if the pharaoh is able to defeat the soul of his strongest priest, then he'll gain access to that priest's memories. And through them, he should be one step closer to learning about his own."

"That's why Yugi wants to duel your brother so badly." Anzu added. "The priest in the carving looked so much like him, it would be like an ancient battle set three thousand years in the future."

"Not like big brother would believe anything like that." Mokuba added.

"We know that much." Jonouchi scoffed, crossing his arms.

"But I do. That's why I want to help!"

"Thank you, Mokuba." Anzu answered.

"And you're gonna need it! Just like I said! My big brother's got new cards. Powerful new cards!" He looked up at the clock on the wall. "Speaking of big brother, I'd better get home before he starts to get worried!"

"Heh. A few monsters and a few hundred life points here and there, but when the going gets tough, the other Yugi'll pull through!" Jonouchi smirked. "Powerful cards or not."

"We'll be ready. Thanks again." Yugi waved to the younger Kaiba brother as he ran out of the Kame game shop.

Yugi stared down at the puzzle. He could feel his other half smiling from within his heart. The pharaoh knew that this could be the best chance to regain his memories. And he was equally eager.

"So when's the next match, Yugi?" Honda asked. "You still want some more practice? I'll take you on!"

"You're no competition!" Jonouchi laughed, elbowing Honda in the ribs. "Even Yugi's grandpa is better competition than you!"

"I am too competition!" He shouted back. "Just because I don't have that new Andro Sphinx card in my deck…"

"You hardly even duel!" Anzu chuckled, watching Honda attempt to put a headlock on Jonouchi.

"I believe my deck will win, guys." Yugi smiled. "As long as I trust in the heart of the cards. The pharaoh is certain to win back some of his memories! But we'll take all the practice duels we can get!"

"Right. So, duel me first." Honda added.

"No! He's going to duel me first! I came in second in Duelist Kingdom, after all."

Yugi just laughed. There would be plenty of time for his other self to duel both of them, as well as get a full night's rest before the destined duel.


	3. A Short Reprieve

Dark Magician Girl returned to her quarters within the deck. There was nothing more she could do for the time being. This was her life, her fate, and she knew it well. Another duel could begin at any moment. Rest was a luxury they could no longer afford.

Mystic Elf was right. Her mentor, Dark Magician, had seen far more than his fair share of battles recently. And Dark Magician Girl could not decide which bothered her more: How sordid was fate, to keep the Lord's favorite monster near the top of the deck. How inconsiderate of the Lord to summon him so often, to always rely on him, when he has an army of other monsters waiting in the deck.

"Stupid Lord…" she coughed under her breath, soft enough that no one else could hear her.

Even she could not deny the truth. Dark Magician was the Lord's favored monster. He was strong, his magic unmatched by any other spellcaster. And with the wide variety of spells at the Lord's disposal, her master was the undisputed leader of his army.

That rank, however, came as a double-edged sword.

It was true that the strongest monsters weren't summoned as often, given the fact that the Lord had to first summon and send away weaker monsters just to call them into battle. However, their powerful attack strength meant that they stood toe to toe with the strongest of opponents. And as the duels progressed, those opponents were only getting stronger.

It had been less than a week since Dark Magician found himself at the mercy of the vicious Andro Sphinx. The creature sprung from an opposing deck, taking them both by complete surprise. The Lord cast the spell of Mage Power upon her, giving her the strength to take him down, but not before her master had become its first victim.

The blow struck low, snapping both of Dark Magician's legs in two places. Even Mystic Elf had difficulty healing him. And he still walked with an unhealthy limp.

The more Dark Magician Girl tried not to remember battles past, the more they flooded her mind. While the Lord was generally protective of his monsters, some duels just went from bad to worse.

It was only a matter of time until the Lord faced a challenge from a new opponent, with an even stronger monster. Dark Magician Girl also knew, that it was only a matter of time until it was she, not her mentor, that would be taking such devastating blows.

"I wish we didn't have to fight like this…" she finally whispered, curling up on her cot. She hoped that, this time, there would be enough time to sleep between duels. If so, then perhaps there'd be enough time for Mystic Elf to work her healing magic.


	4. What are Friends for

Dark Magician eventually awoke to a sharp ache in his shoulder and chest.

"Heh. About time you woke up." A gruff voice echoed above him. It made his head ache as well. "I've seen level four monsters take that kind of beating in attack mode and stay out of the Graveyard. You're getting clumsy with your wand, DM."

The magician groaned as he finally placed the voice.

"Monsters like, me for example. I could take that hit and still stand strong in the duel!"

"Obnoxious as always…" he groaned.

"It's how I got the name." The warrior laughed heartily, knocking on his metal helmet.

"That is because you cannot be destroyed in battle, Obnoxious Celtic Guardian." Mystic Elf replied, as though she were repeating that line for the hundredth time. "No matter what a Blue Eyes White Dragon would do to you, you would still stay on your feet. Even if they were broken."

Dark Magician slowly sat up. His armor was stacked neatly against the side of the cot; his wand leaned precariously against the wall.

"Oh, no you don't." Mystic Elf stopped him before he could climb off the cot. "You're not going anywhere! I finished with the spells, but your injuries need time to heal! I don't want to see you moving for the next few days!"

"Yeah, DM. Just kick back and relax for a while, huh." Obnoxious Celtic Guardian laughed, propping his feet up on the spellcaster's cot. "At least 'till you get summoned again, and then get your ass handed to you by one of those Egyptian God Things. Especially the red one. I like red. It's a good color!"

Dark Magician groaned again. He wasn't sure what was worse: being called DM by the most annoying warrior in the whole deck, or being too injured to just get away from him.

"Now, I've had just about enough of that kind of talk." Mystic Elf finally intervened. "Your sprained ankle was healed a long time ago. You're free to go."

"But it's a lot more fun to stay here with my buddy, DM!" he laughed, punching the magician lightly in his good shoulder.

"You know, one of these days, the Lord is going to find a magic spell that will shove your helmet in your mouth." Mystic Elf scolded. "And when he does, it won't be my magic removing it!"

Dark Magician sighed, turning his attention to the rest of the Graveyard. The number of wounded and injured monsters no longer surprised him. It had been this way for years, although the battles had grown far more frequent in the past few months. Injuries just seemed to compound themselves.

Gaia, the Fierce Knight, sat in a cot across from him, his arm draped in a sling. Berfomet was there too, as was Chimera, the Flying Mythical Beast, and Horned Imp. Buster Blader was resting two cots down, although his were mostly flesh wounds. On his right, Black Luster Soldier was recovering from a dislocated knee and broken wrist. Even Watapon had passed out from exhaustion.

"Hey, DM. Are you even listening to me?" Obnoxious Celtic Guardian snapped his fingers in front of the spellcaster's face.

Dark Magician grimaced, turning his attention back to what he had been trying his best to tune out completely.

"No, I wasn't." he answered curtly.

"I was just saying maybe next time you should just hide under those magical hats until the big Blue Eyes goes away. That's a good plan, isn't it DM?" he smirked, clapping his hands in the air. "Good plan, good plan. If I do say so myself, and I do!"

"Right. I'll consider that next time I'm in a battle with something twelve times the size of your mouth." He answered, groaning again, attempting to rest.


	5. The Grave Prognosis

Dark Magician Girl awoke to the familiar sound of a Kuribo at her doorstep.

He was the weakest monster in the entire deck, but Dark Magician Girl still envied him. He rarely saw the duel, and if he did, it was from the confines of the Lord's hand. He was often discarded, allowed to retreat without fighting. In that respect, he was perhaps, the luckiest of all the Lord's monsters.

"Hey there, little guy." Dark Magician Girl patted the small brown monster on the head, as if he were a small dog. "What brings you over to the spellcasters' barrack?"

Kuribo chirped seriously, holding a scroll in his small green hands.

"Oh!" Dark Magician Girl sat up quickly. "It's a message from Mystic Elf!"

She took the scroll immediately, and unrolled it as fast as she could.

"Maybe she's already finished healing Master!" Dark Magician Girl hoped for the best, but good news wasn't often sent via Kuribo. "… or maybe not… The scroll just says Mystic Elf wants to talk to me…"

She automatically feared the worst.

"Oh, we could be summoned any minute! I've got to hurry!"

Kuribo chirped again, as Dark Magician Girl grabbed her wand. He seemed a little impatient.

"Thanks, Kuribo!" she added frantically. "Cookies are in the jar by my bed. You can help yourself!"

Kuribo chirped under his breath, before climbing hopping onto her bed, and pulling down the entire jar. Dark Magician Girl was already sprinting down the hall. It was in Kuribo's favor, that in her frenzy, the young spellcaster probably wouldn't even remember owning a jar of cookies later.

Dark Magician Girl didn't slow down until she approached the Graveyard.

"Mystic Elf?" she called softly. "Mystic Elf? Are you here? You wanted to see me about something?"

"Yes, Dark Magician Girl." The healer answered softly, coming out from behind the tent. "I do."

Dark Magician Girl followed the elder woman around back. Mystic Elf kept her voice quiet. Above all else, she did not want to arouse panic in the deck.

As she passed the open flap she could see her master lying on the far cot. His deepest wounds had been bandaged. His torso was wrapped tightly, to hopefully remind the powerful spellcaster that extraneous movement would only bring more pain. His right arm hung limply over his chest, as though he could barely move that if he tried. At least he was finally getting some much-needed rest.

"About what?" she finally asked, nervously tilting her wand back and forth.

"About your master…" Mystic Elf whispered softly.

"You… you were able to heal him, right?"

"I did as I promised I would, young one." Mystic Elf replied. "I tried my best. But in many circumstances, even with the best of intentions, my best is not good enough."

"But…"

"I healed his injuries to the best of my ability, but you see… he cannot take many more battles like that."

Dark Magician Girl nodded silently.

"Even the strongest duel monster can only stand up to so much. He has no time to heal before he is forced back into the duel." Mystic Elf explained. "His wounds were very serious. He… I almost lost him a couple of times before I finished with the fastest healing spell I know."

Again, Dark Magician Girl nodded silently, physically stunned at the healer's terrifying report.

"Even he does not know how close he came to being removed from the duel… permanently." She sighed. "Another blow like that, and he will not survive…"

"No…" Dark Magician Girl gasped.

"He must not fight again!" Mystic Elf demanded. "Not in this condition. Not until his body can heal from the relentless abuse he has put himself through!"

"But… w..what choice does master have?" Dark Magician Girl shouted, forgetting Mystic Elf's intention of keeping things low key. "It's not like we can just… just turn down an order from the Lord! If we're summoned, we're summoned!"

"Calm your voice child, or…"

"My apprentice is right, Mystic Elf." A familiar voice cracked behind them. Dark Magician leaned weakly on his wand, barely managing to stand.

"What are you doing up?" Mystic Elf shrieked, spinning around. "I told you to lie there and rest until your wounds are healed! This is not some kind of game, you know…"

"Master, please… do what Mystic Elf says!" Dark Magician Girl pleaded, rushing to her master's side. She put an arm around him for support. "You're badly hurt. You need to rest."

"Apprentice… Rest is not a luxury we can afford." He answered weakly. It hurt to speak. It even hurt to breathe, although he would not admit it. "Can you not feel… the uneasy silence in the air? Another duel is starting."

"Oh no…" Dark Magician Girl gasped. She had felt it, but hoped against fate that her premonition was wrong.

"Even so, I want you in bed." Mystic Elf demanded. "You may not even be summoned, in which this getting up and wandering around will only hurt your recovery…"

"Rock Spirit has already been summoned." Dark Magician answered. "Obnoxious Celtic Guardian was summoned into the Lord's hand as well."

"All the more peace and quiet for you, then. Aren't I right?" Mystic Elf returned quickly, carefully turning the powerful spellcaster back towards the Graveyard. He slowly walked back towards the tent, but not for that purpose.

"I know my place in the deck." He whispered, sitting on the edge of the cot. The other duel monsters watched the small spectacle, hoping they were far from the top. "Brace my injuries… and help me put my armor back on… please. I will fight for the Lord."

"Master…"

"The duel is already underway. I am third from the top. It will not be long before the Lord calls for me."

Mystic Elf lowered her head. She knew there was nothing she could do to protest. If Dark Magician were going to be summoned, he would be summoned. It was as simple as that.

"Lift up your robe, Dark Magician." She sighed, bandaging his shoulder again. "Perhaps a brace will give you at least some protection."

Dark Magician winced and bit his lip, burying his pain as the joint moved. Even Mystic Elf's gentle touch was painful.

"Now, don't even think of lifting your wand with that arm!" she scolded. "And do your best not to take any hits, please…"

Mystic Elf carefully lifted the plates of armor over Dark Magician's head, fastening them in place. To the injured spellcaster, it was an almost unbearable weight, but he forced himself to endure it. She helped strap his hat under his chin, and fasten his gauntlets over his bruised arms.

"I… do not know if I will be able to heal you again…" she finally admitted. "Your injuries are very very serious."

After an agonizing minute, Dark Magician stood up.

"I am the Lord's eternal servant." He bowed respectfully. "If that is my fate… then so be it."

And he weakly made his way into foyer, where the other duel monsters were already waiting.


	6. Tag Team Challenge

"Come on Yugi! You can do it!" Anzu cheered. "Show both Honda and Jonouchi who's boss!"

Since the friends both refused to let the other duel first, she suggested the pharaoh duel them both. And for the first time, perhaps two heads would actually be better than one.

The teams of duelists traded attacks for most the match, no one able to keep a monster on their side of the field for long. But the pharaoh had a few tricks up his sleeve, and he was waiting for the right moment to make his move.

"Ah yes. Just the card I was hoping for." He smiled, drawing the Dark Magician into his hand. "I sacrifice Big Shield Gardna and Obnoxious Celtic Guardian, in order to play my Dark Magician!"

Honda gasped, as the dark magician let out a powerful attack, destroying his monster effortlessly.

"And that is just the first trick up my magician's sleeve." The pharaoh announced, pulling a magic card from his hand. "I also activate the spell card, Dark Magic Attack! This allows my magician to destroy all magic and trap cards on your side of the field!"

"No!" Jonouchi shouted. "There went my skull dice, and my monster reborn!"

The pharaoh ended his turn, and Honda drew a new card from his deck.

"Thankfully you're not the only one with tricks up your sleeve. I'm going to lay one card face down, and summon another monster in face down defense mode." he announced. "And I end my turn."

"Very well. I summon Gazelle, the king of mythical beasts, in attack mode." The pharaoh countered. "Dark Magician, destroy the face down monster!"

Honda cringed as his weak apprentice magician was destroyed.

"But I activate my spell card. Scapegoats." he smiled. "That will protect our life points."

"But not for long." Yugi reminded him. "It's your move, Jou!"

"In that case, I'm going to sacrifice two of Honda's scapegoats, so I can summon this!" he shouted, laying down a powerful spellcaster. "It's a Cosmo Queen!"

"Where'd you get that?" Anzu asked. "What happened to your Red Eyes Black Dragon?"

"It must be at the bottom of my deck." He added. "And Yugi's grandpa gave me this card! It's one of the new spellcasters. I thought the pharaoh needed to face off with the newest cards! Kaiba might have one in his deck!"

"You know Kaiba only plays with dragon decks." Anzu rolled her eyes.

"Then I'll just have to use it to beat his Dark Magician!" Jou exclaimed.

The pharaoh gasped. Jonouchi was right. The new monster's attack strength was 2900 attack points, a good 400 stronger than his dark magician. The card was quickly sent to the graveyard.

"Oh no… come on! Believe in the heart of the cards!"

"That's right!" the pharaoh whispered. "Then I activate Monster Reborn!" he quickly announced, pulling his magician back from the graveyard. "And I sacrifice my Gazelle, to bring forth my Catapult Turtle!"

"What does that do?" Honda asked.

"I'm glad you asked, Honda." The pharaoh smiled. "Let me explain it to you. By strapping my dark magician inside, I can launch him into your life points directly, causing damage to half his attack!"

"That won't be enough to stop us. We'll still have one hundred life points after that attack." She argued. "And on my next turn, my Cosmo Queen will destroy your turtle, leaving your life points wide open!"

"But because of my 'Heart of the Underdog' magic card, and the fact that I drew my Catapult Turtle this turn, I am able to draw one extra card. And I think it will be just what I need!"

"That never fails." Honda rolled his eyes.

"Go Yugi!" Anzu shrieked from the sidelines.

"And the card I drew is the Book of Secret Arts, giving my magician three hundred extra attack points, enough to compensate for the hundred you have left." The pharaoh smiled. It had been a challenging duel against both Honda and Jounouchi, but it was time to end it while he had the upper hand. "And now, Dark Magician, attack their life points directly!"

The magician shot across the field, bursting into a stream of purple light. Their combined life points fell to zero, and Anzu declared the pharaoh the winner of the duel. Honda and Jou tossed their hands down on the table.

"We were so close!" Jonouchi shouted. Anzu just laughed. Yugi took control over his body again, letting the spirit of the puzzle rest after the battle well fought.

"Good game, Yugi." Honda was quick to congratulate his opponent. "Even if you did beat us."

"Maybe next time you'll finally beat me!"

"Maybe." Honda mumbled.

"Of course we will. Katsuya Jonouchi is really going places!" he grinned.

"Right…" Anzu rolled her eyes.


	7. Fallen

Dark Magician Girl paced anxiously in the foyer.

A short while ago, she was positive she saw her master appear within the large gates. As soon as she blinked, though, it was if he was summoned right back again!

"Oh, what's taking this duel so long…" she whispered nervously. She knew her place in the deck too. And she was the next monster in line. But things felt like they were also winding down. With luck, she wouldn't be summoned. With just as much luck, her master would still return alive…

Gazelle, the king of mythical beasts was the first to appear from the battlefield of the duel. His pleased grunt indicated that it was, in fact, finished. Their lord had captured another victory with their devoted help. Dark Magician had saved the day. But if that were the case, then where was…

He materialized a moment later, falling motionlessly to the ground.

"Master!" Dark Magician Girl dove to his side. Mystic Elf, fearing disaster, ran quickly from the Graveyard. "Master! Are you all right!"

"Be careful, my child!" Mystic Elf knelt next to the spellcaster. He had yet to move, or even make a sound. "Let me see… before you move him and chance injuring him further."

She didn't need to inspect him at great length, though. It was clear that the brace was largely ineffective. Massive chest wounds had reopened and the blood already soaked through his violet tunic. As Mystic Elf pressed on the wound, Dark Magician coughed weakly, and fresh blood dribbled out the side of his mouth. He was fading fast.

"Gazelle, what happened out there?" Mystic Elf gasped. "I thought you said that the battle was won by Dark Magician."

The beast grunted again, revealing what spells their Lord had cast, one of which was Monster Reborn.

"I knew I saw him fall!" Dark Magician Girl gasped.

The appearance of Catapult Turtle answered the rest of Mystic Elf's inquiry.

"Oh my…" she gasped. "He was fired into the opposing line… a duel monster missile…"

Dark Magician Girl only gulped. Her master was barely strong enough to cast a dark magic attack, yet alone be that attack.

"A desperate battle it must have been, for the Lord to use such a wicked tactic…"

"C…Can you heal him?" Dark Magician Girl squeaked, trying her best to remain calm. She cursed the Lord for signaling her mentor out as a kamikaze pilot.

"I… will do my best…" she whispered, motioning for Gazelle to assist her. The beast carefully lifted the broken body of the wounded magician. Had he possessed the strength, he would surely have screamed from the agony of his body being lifted from the ground. With Mystic Elf beside him, the mythical beast carried Dark Magician to the Graveyard.

The healer didn't need to say anything; her face said it all – Dark Magician was dying.


	8. Curse the Lord

Dark Magician Girl watched them disappear into the tent.

"Oh Master…" she whispered, clutching her wand. Her head drooped to the floor and tears swelled up behind her eyes. "Curse you, Lord! Curse you… on the heart of the cards!"

She kicked at the ground, slamming her blue boot on the stone.

"Why do you make us fight like this? Why do you make him fight like this!" she looked up, as it seemed a decent location. "Is this some kind of punishment? Is it? What did we do wrong, Lord? No one's been more loyal to you than Master! He fights harder than all of us! And you're killing him! Stop it! Just… Just stop it!"

"Hey, DMG, usually I don't hear screams like that until after I lift up your little pink skirt."

Dark Magician Girl blinked, actually finding it hard to believe that Obnoxious Celtic Guardian had the nerve of interrupting the worst day of her life.

"Oooohhhhhh…. Shut up!" she screamed, and struck the knight across the face with her wand.

"Hey, it was just an observation, no need to get kinky on me." He laughed, waving his hands in front of his face.

"I am not getting kinky with you!" she shrieked back. "Don't you know that master's…"

"Bleeding all over the place in there?" Obnoxious Celtic Guardian pointed back to the Graveyard. "He's got to learn to take a punch. Now, if that'd been me out there, on the back of Catapult Turtle…"

Dark Magician Girl fumed, slamming her wand into his stomach as hard as she could.

"… yeah…" Obnoxious Celtic Guardian coughed. "Just like… that… except, to the other guy!"

"I'm leaving!"

She turned her back to him and started marching away.

"Hey! Where're you going?" the obnoxious elf whined. "I can take a punch!"

"I… I'm going to see the Lord!" she screamed, and disappeared into the distance.

Obnoxious Celtic Guardian stood there for a moment, completely perplexed.

"You know, DMG…" he shouted at the top of his lungs. "If you don't want to go out with me, you could just say you had to wash your hair again! I probably would have believed it!"

Dark Magician Girl didn't know exactly how she would get to the Lord. No one ever left the deck unless the Lord purposefully called him or her to the duel. But that wasn't about to stop her.

Obnoxious Celtic Guardian watched her until she disappeared from sight.

"What's up with her?" he whispered, eventually standing up, and walked towards the Graveyard. A visit with Dark Magician always cheered him up.

Meanwhile, Dark Magician Girl was lost in her own thoughts.

Dark Magician was dying. He might already be… dare she even think it… removed from play entirely. And she was so furious, that she was determined to find the Lord just so she could give him a piece of her mind!

"Do you hear me, Lord? I've got something I want to say!" she shouted, walking as far as she could possibly walk. "Are you listening to me! I want to tell youuuueeeeeEEEEEEEEE!"


	9. And the boy who looked like the Lord

Her words became a scream as the road in front of her disappeared off the edge of the deck. Dark Magician Girl tried to reach for the ledge again, but there was nothing she could do but fall. She woke up in the middle of a dark hallway, with one door on each side.

"Ow… that hurt!" she groaned as she stood up, dusting off her skirt. "Hey… wait a minute… Where am I?"

She looked around, rather confused. She didn't know where she was, or how long she had been there.

"I've never seen this part of the deck before." She wandered down the short hallway a couple of times. The two doors were the only things there. The hallway was dark, dirty, and covered with dust. She coughed lightly. "I don't think anybody else's been down here either."

Not knowing what else to do, she tried the first door. It was locked.

"Hello?" she called out. "Is anybody home?"

Dark Magician Girl shivered.

"I don't think I like this place…" she whispered, walking back across the hallway to the other door. She jiggled the doorknob, and to her surprise, this door opened.

"Hello?" she whispered, a little more cautiously. If master were here, she thought to herself, I would be really brave right now. But if master were here… I wouldn't be here right now either… "Hello?"

She came face to face with a strange boy. His face seemed oddly familiar, though Dark Magician Girl had never seen him inside the deck. He didn't look like any duel monster she'd ever met. His hair was oddly colored, and he wore strange robes without armor. And nothing appeared to be broken or scarred!

"Oh my!" she shrieked, jumping back slightly. Her wand flew out of her hands twice before she finally caught it. "There really is someone home!"

Fortunately, the boy's startled composure signaled that he was just as afraid of her as she was of him.

"Dark Magician Girl?" he whispered, looking at the duel monster standing in front of him. She stepped back timidly at the mention of her name.

"You know who I am?"

"Of course I do…" the boy answered. "You're one of my favorite monsters. Is this a dream?"

"Dream?" Dark Magician Girl repeated, confused. "One of your… oh… Oh!"

She gasped several times, almost dropping her wand again.

"Oh my gosh! I said I wanted to find the Lord and give him a piece of my mind, and I did! But I don't! But I do! You know, I figured you'd be a lot taller…"

"Lord? Piece of your mind?" he asked cautiously, as Dark Magician Girl weakly attempted to calm herself down. "What are you talking about?"

"You!" she answered quickly. "You look like the Lord! That's where I've seen you! In the duel! You're the big guy who looks down on all of us from above! Only… you're not really so big now that I see you up close. Why did you shrink?"

Yugi blinked.

"I'm… not a Lord." He finally answered. "I'm just a high school student. And… and you're a duel monster!"

"Of course I'm a duel monster! Wait… what's a high school student?" she scratched her head with her wand.

Yugi gulped. The 'Lord' that Dark Magician Girl was referring to had to be his other self, the spirit of the pharaoh. How he would explain that, however, Yugi wasn't entirely sure.

"My name is Yugi." He finally answered, deciding that was the best place to start. He held out his hand, hoping the duel monster would take it. She shook it eagerly..

"Dark Magician Girl!" she smiled, and the questions began again. "Do you live in the deck too? How come I've never seen you before? Why do you look like the Lord?"

"I think we'd better talk about a few things…" Yugi answered, leaning against his soul room door. "Maybe that will help."

The young spellcaster nodded, and both told the other what they wanted to know.


	10. Luck over Magic

Obnoxious Celtic Guardian sauntered into the Graveyard towards Dark Magician's cot, but when he arrived, he found it empty.

"Okay, now I know I saw them bring DM in here." He pondered aloud. He turned as Mystic elf stepped regretfully from behind a large curtain. Her expression was quite weary. Her hands and robe were covered in blood.

"Mystic…" Obnoxious Celtic Guardian gulped.

"I am all right." She whispered. "Just fatigued…"

"But the blood…" he added. "Who were you…?"

Mystic Elf looked up slowly. Her eyes glanced weakly to the curtain, hung to separate one badly injured monster from all the others.

"DM?"

She nodded.

For the first time, Obnoxious Celtic Guardian let the harsh reality of the situation invade his normally witty persona. He walked slowly back to the curtain, peering inside.

"Obnoxious Celtic Guardian, if you are going in there…" Mystic Elf added. "Try and keep your voice down. He needs to rest…"

"Hey, What are you trying to say here! I'm a monster that knows when to keep his mouth shu…" he stopped talking as soon as he came face to face with the battered Dark Magician. It wasn't out of respect for the wounded, but rather because the spellcaster's body was that much of a shock. "… DM…"

He looked terrible, simply terrible. Obnoxious Celtic Guardian could only reason that if this is what he looked like after Mystic Elf had spent almost all of her energy healing him, then the condition he arrived in… It was unthinkable. He tried to shake that image out of his head. It was clear to him now, why Dark Magician Girl was so emotional. He found it difficult to contain the mixed bag of anger and sympathy that was growing inside his heart.

"DM, What did you get yourself into this time?" he gasped, pulling a chair toward the bed. As to Mystic Elf's request, he did keep his voice fairly quiet. Dark Magician didn't even respond. "I mean, I know I told DMG that you should learn to take a punch, but I wasn't suggesting you immediately go out and start practicing."

Mystic Elf stepped behind him silently, and put a hand on his shoulder.

"You're not done right? You can't be done. I mean, your patch job isn't holding. See? He's still bleeding…"

The warrior touched Dark Magician's chest lightly. The spellcaster groaned. Obnoxious Celtic Guardian lifted up his hand, which was covered in blood. When Mystic Elf did not respond, he even pointed to it for greater emphasis.

The healer finally sighed.

"Dark Magician is… dying…" she whispered.

"No way. Nobody just gets removed from play! Not like that!" he gestured back to the wounded magician. "DM's been here longer than any of us!"

"There… is nothing else I can do for him…"

"But there's another duel starting up!" he added. "And he's gonna' get summoned. He always gets summoned! I always told him luck was better than magic…"

"I pray that fate allows him to rest…" Mystic Elf interrupted. "If not, then… I believe you know what will surely happen…"

Obnoxious Celtic Guardian looked down at Dark Magician again before nodding. The magician coughed painfully, struggling to breathe.

"Yeah. I do."


	11. What He Needs to See

"So you come in here every time there's a duel?" Dark Magician Girl asked, still a little confused.

"Yes. That's right." Yugi answered. "Most of the time."

"So it's like the Lord is protecting you from getting hurt!"

"Most of the time the pha… I mean… your Lord is in the room across the hall. And then I'm in control." He added, watching Dark Magician Girl nod slowly. "He just takes control when we duel."

"So… the Lord likes you? And you talk?"

"Just like I would with any of my friends." Yugi answered. Their bond had grown tremendously over the past few years, especially through the most difficult duels: Duelist Kingdom, Battle City, and the Kaiba Corp. Grand Prix. His friendship with the spirit of the millennium puzzle was one of his most precious treasures.

"Um… then… maybe you can help me." She whispered cautiously, again twirling her wand. It was a nervous habit.

"What do you need?" Yugi asked. The spellcaster seemed so frightened all of a sudden.

Dark Magician Girl swallowed loudly. This was probably the only chance she'd ever have. And given the circumstances, if she said nothing, it might very well be too late! But even if she did tell Yugi everything, there was a chance that he wouldn't believe her. Or worse, he would tell the Lord, and she would be punished for her lack of loyalty.

"I… think it would be easier to show… than tell… And I need to get back to the deck since there's a duel going on…" she gulped, asking weakly. She looked up into Yugi's eyes. "Can you leave this 'soul room' barrack of yours?"

Yugi nodded.

"Yes…" he whispered back uneasily. Hopefully his partner wouldn't be too concerned if he sensed him gone.

"Then… please come with me. I need to show you. I need to show you everything. And then you can tell the Lord, and…" she leapt up, taking his hand in hers, pulling him forward.

"Wait, wait!" Yugi finally interrupted. "Please, slow down!"

Dark Magician Girl froze, dropping his arm.

"Where do you want me to go?" he asked again. "And just what do you want me to see?"

"The deck." She answered, opening the door that led back into the strange hallway. She wasn't exactly sure how to answer his second question. "And… You'll see enough when you get there…"


	12. The Deck

Yugi was relieved when his feet touched solid ground again. As much as he always wondered what it felt like to levitate like his favorite monster cards, the actual feeling was far from pleasant. All he could do was close his eyes and convince himself not to even think about looking down.

Dark Magician Girl set him gently on the stone floor, and then dropped from the air herself.

"My magic's improving!" she beamed, holding her wand in the air. "I've never floated that long before!"

Yugi stood for a moment before his knees stopped trembling.

"Where are we?"

"The deck, of course." Dark Magician Girl answered, looking around. "Well, the farthest end of the deck. I don't think I've ever been this far, but I was so mad, I just started walking and… well, you know the rest. Someone should really put a sign here that says 'watch your step."

"Right."

"Anyway…" she started walking. Yugi jumped quickly to her side so as not to get lost.

The stone-covered hallway stretched for what felt like a quarter-mile before Yugi saw any other signs of life within this 'deck' as Dark Magician Girl had called it.

To his right, a Jack's knight was tapping a King's knight on the shoulder, and pointing at them both. To his left, a Kuribo scuttled slowly across the ground, appearing extremely well-fed. He glanced back at Dark Magician Girl. None of these sights seemed to surprise her.

"Excuse me… was that…" Yugi stuttered, not sure if he actually believed what he saw with his own eyes.

The spellcaster nodded.

"That's the last time I tell Kuribo he can help himself to the cookies." She answered. "He probably ate every singe one in the jar!"

"No… I mean… the duel monsters. Are they real?"

Dark Magician Girl stopped.

"Of course we're real!" she tapped herself in the head with her wand to prove the point. "Aren't you?"

Yugi nodded, still beyond flabbergasted at what he saw.

"As if you couldn't guess… the warrior barracks are that way, over where the knights were standing. They have a big practice arena, next to a little room to repair their weapons and armor."

Yugi looked over his shoulder again. The knights had walked away.

"Obnoxious Celtic Guardian took me back to the little room once. He wanted me to help him shine his sword." She continued, starting to ramble. "But that wasn't what he meant…"

"I see." Yugi interrupted.

"Oh! And that's the Beast barrack, where all the beast monsters live." She switched direction as they walked. "And that's the spellcaster's barrack where I live! I have a little room next to the training hall, where I can keep my spellbooks and my replacement wands. I tend to break my wand a lot… among other things…"

She instinctively rubbed her right wrist. Her wand-holding arm had been injured more times than any other part of her body. Often, when she thought about the past duels, it still ached.

"So all of you live here?" Yugi, still mystified at the living, breathing, duel monsters, failed to notice Dark Magician Girl's expression change.

"Yeah." She nodded, continuing to walk. "The kitchen is over there… and those are the gates to the duel."

He did, however, notice the sadness in her voice when she spoke about the duel.

"The gates?" Yugi looked up. There were many monsters waiting patiently in the foyer area. A large set of wooden doors remained open on the side of the hall.

Yugi watched them for a few minutes.

There were a few soft conversations, but for the most part, they were silent. Every now and then, a monster would stand up, and walk towards the doors. Light engulfed him, and he disappeared from the Deck.

"Dark Magician Girl?" Yugi asked cautiously, tugging on her gauntlet. "Where did Buster Blader just go?"

"Into the duel." She answered. "He was just summoned by the Lord."

Yugi thought about that answer for a long minute. Each time the pharaoh drew a monster card into his hand, one of the monsters here would go through those gates.

"And everyone else here?"

Dark Magician Girl looked down at the floor.

"They're waiting. We… we all know our place at the start of the duel. When our time draws near, we come here to wait for our turn." She eventually looked up at Yugi. The boy seemed rather distant. "Yugi?"

"Sorry, Dark Magician Girl, I was just thinking…" he answered.

She gave him an inquisitive glance.

"I guess I thought they'd be a little more excited than this." Yugi replied. "When I'm getting ready for a duel, I'm really excited. Especially if it's one of Kaiba's tournaments, or a really great game with my friends. Or…"

Dark Magician Girl trembled at Yugi's pleasant answer. She fought to keep her composure, covering her mouth as she gasped.

"The shrimp's kidding, right?" Obnoxious Celtic Guardian added as he walked out of the Graveyard. The elf had spent the past hour inside the tent, and despite his usual sense of humor, he was almost at a loss for words. Unwilling to elaborate, he marched towards the warriors' barrack.

"Did… did I say something wrong?" he looked at her, and at the other monsters, who suddenly shot angry scowls through the strange newcomer.

"… You… you don't know… do you…?" she finally managed to reply, shaking her head. She forced herself not to cry.

"Know what?"


	13. The Graveyard

"Just… just wait a few minutes, Yugi…" Dark Magician Girl whispered. "Then you'll see why we aren't happy to fight…"

Another light appeared, and soon, a monster reappeared outside the wooden gates.

A knight, clad in deep blue armor, limped weakly away from the open doorway. His armor was rusted at the edges. His face was scratched and burned, as if scorched by dragon's fire.

"That's Gaia, the fierce knight…" Yugi gasped.

Dark Magician Girl only nodded, as Feral Imp flew to his side, to catch the injured warrior before he fell. Berfomet grunted, coming to his side as well. The knight, exhausted from the battle, leaned on the great beast's hairy arm. He coughed, a puff of smoke rising from his tattered lungs. Perhaps the metaphor of dragon's fire wasn't so far off the mark.

"He's… he's hurt…" Yugi stuttered again, watching as the beast helped the warrior through the crowd of monsters. Most of the others didn't even react, as though it were completely ordinary.

"He's not the only one…" Dark Magician Girl whispered, her eyes at the floor.

"You mean… there's more?" Yugi gasped, watching the monster limp weakly by. "Where is he going?"

"To the Graveyard."

Yugi wasn't sure he wanted to know exactly what the spellcaster meant by that. But he decided to ask anyway.

"That's where the Obnoxious Celtic Guardian just came from…" he pointed in that direction.

"The graveyard…" Dark Magician Girl began, "is where most of the spellcasters with healing magic work… Mystic Elf set it up when the duels started getting more frequent. There wasn't enough room in the infirmary, and there wasn't enough time to get them there either…"

The sorrow in Dark Magician Girl's voice was palpable.

"Where is this… graveyard?" Yugi asked meekly.

"Come on, I'll take you there…" she whispered, taking his hand. Together, they followed Berfomet and Gaia.

A large makeshift tent hung in the farthest crevice in the foyer. The scent of blood lingered in the air, as did the anguished groans of many wounded monsters.

"Is this…" Yugi gasped.

"This is the Graveyard." Dark Magician Girl answered. Mystic Elf stood at the doorway, taking Gaia into her open arms.

"What's she doing?" Yugi asked.

"She's the best healer we have." The spellcaster sighed. "She'll heal him. Or… or at least, she'll try her best."

Yugi didn't have a very close view, but, from a distance, the burns on the knight's face looked extremely painful.

"Here… you should see it all for yourself." Dark Magician Girl continued weakly, walking towards the tent. Yugi reluctantly followed. The sight was one that would accost his eyes for years to come.

The weak shelter housed at least two dozen cots, most of which were filled with monsters in various stages of recovery.

A few, the lucky ones as it seemed, were merely being treated for flesh wounds. The sword of tenacity or the axe of despair had the power to create massive lacerations, severing skin and muscle, and sometimes even breaking bones.

Others seemed in far worse condition. Summoned Skull's left horn hung from the side of his face, almost completely severed. The usually fearsome fiend wailed in pain. Black Luster Soldier, stripped of all his armor, was resting uncomfortably on a cot as well. His knee was bandaged, and Mystic Elf had propped the leg up to relieve the strain.

He glanced over at Gaia, the fierce knight. Mystic Elf cleaned the burned skin from his cheeks before checking on his arm. It was not long before Yugi realized she must have been looking at a prior injury, something that the warrior may very well have aggravated during the duel.

"This… this is terrible…" Yugi whispered finally finding his voice. "They're… they're all hurt!"

"We… get used to it… I guess." Dark Magician Girl sighed. "I… I wish it didn't have to be this way… But as the duels get more frequent, and the opposing monsters grow even stronger… some of the more powerful monsters in the Deck can barely escape the duel without injury…"

"But… Mystic Elf heals them, right?" Yugi asked, still shaking from the spectacle that surrounded him.

"She… does her best…" the spellcaster trembled, her voice betraying that she was almost on the verge of tears. "Yugi… I want you to see someone else before you leave… okay?"

The boy nodded weakly, and Dark Magician Girl led him to a secluded part of the tent, set apart by another curtain. Drawing a deep breath, she pulled back the curtain, revealing the greatest casualty of them all – her master, Dark Magician, and Yugi's most coveted monster…


	14. The Magician

At first, Yugi was speechless.

The blistering burns inflicted on the fierce knight, the broken horn of Summoned Skull, the injuries of all the other monsters paled in comparison to the those suffered by Dark Magician.

His armor and wand were stacked neatly against the side of the cot, no longer hiding the abuse his body had been put through. His blood-soaked tunic revealed the locations of the deepest gashes. Some of them were even still bleeding. His exposed skin was battered and bruised. Limp purple hair did little to hide the stark discoloration. His right arm hung in a sling, strapped across his chest to keep his dislocated shoulder from moving. His ribs were bound tightly, evidence that he fought the last few battles while already seriously injured. And that, as Yugi quickly discerned, was only the beginning.

Fluttering eyes were his only movements as Dark Magician drifted in and out of a restless sleep. His breaths came in ragged gasps, a pained expression covering his face with each agonizing wheeze. He seemed so fragile, so weak, nothing like the card that he so proudly played with for all those tournaments.

"… Dark Magician…" he finally whispered, glancing back at Dark Magician Girl.

"This is… what the duels have done to Master…" she wiped the tears from her flushed cheeks.

"… but…" Yugi tried to speak, but couldn't find his words. He knew the Dark Magician was his favorite card. It was his trump card. He and the pharaoh often relied on the Dark Magician to win the match. He may not have been the strongest monster in Yugi's deck, but he was certainly the best. In fact, the bond between his yami and that card seemed so strong, it was if the pharaoh willed it into his hand at the beginning of almost every duel.

This painful sight, as Yugi was finally learning, was the result of that bond and that ironclad will.

Weakly, Dark Magician coughed. A trail of blood dribbled down his chin, onto the already bloodstained cot. The spellcaster made no motion to wipe it away, and Yugi wondered if he even had the strength to do so.

"He's getting worse, I'm afraid." Mystic Elf whispered behind the pair. Yugi jumped at the sound of her voice.

"No…" Dark Magician Girl gasped.

"Worse?"

Mystic Elf nodded sorrowfully.

"But… Dark Magician Girl said you heal other monsters. Can't you heal him too?" Yugi glanced between Mystic Elf and his prized Dark Magician.

"I have tried my best. But his wounds are so great. The duels are so intense. And he is summoned so often. I have tried my best, but my best spells cannot withstand the constant battles."

"Please, Mystic Elf… don't say that…"

"I pray that fate falls in his favor, just this once. That the Lord does not summon him to the duel." She whispered, her hands clasping weakly behind her back. "It is certain. He cannot survive another duel. He may not even survive the day…"

Dark Magician Girl just buried her face in her hands.

"You mean he'd…" Yugi gasped, his legs growing weak underneath him.

"He'd be removed from play… forever…" Mystic Elf answered the strange visitor, lowering her gaze to the floor. Dark Magician groaned weakly. Whether it was a reaction to his own inevitable death or merely a spasm of pain, no one could be sure.

"… Oh God…" Yugi swayed, barely able to stay on his own feet. "When the pha… I mean, your Lord won the last duel… using Dark Magician and the Catapult Turtle…"

He couldn't finish. It was too difficult. Dark Magician Girl only nodded.

"Please… I don't want to see Master die…"

Yugi nodded blankly in return. It was also the last thing he wanted to see.


	15. Your Place in the Deck

Suddenly, the wounded spellcaster opened his eyes. Choking on his own feeble breath, he struggled to move. Mystic Elf cautiously lifted his back, though she feared she knew exactly what he was thinking.

"No!" she shouted, ready to force him back down should he actually try. "I can't have you moving any more than this. Dark Magician Girl, fetch me another pillow. It might help him breathe a little better."

Dark Magician glanced weakly up at the healer. His eyes struggled to focus. He could make out maybe two or three duel monsters standing above him, but everything else was a dizzying blur. Even opening his eyes made his head throb.

"You are far too weak. And moving will only aggravate your injuries."

"… place… in Deck…" he whispered, blood running from his open mouth as he coughed hoarsely through the words.

"Your place in the Deck is right here. In bed!" Mystic Elf eased the magician's battered body onto the pillows. She touched her hand on his chest. It rose and fell irregularly under her fingertips. She could even feel his heart bleed. "If you go… you will not return from the duel alive."

"I… will be… summoned… soon…" he gasped again, still coughing. He could barely speak. "App..rentice… my armor…"

Dark Magician Girl fought back tears.

"You mean he's just going to fight!" Yugi shouted, taking another step back. "He can't be serious!"

The other duel monsters in the Graveyard just looked at him.

"He can't even sit up, how can he fight!"

Dark Magician Girl knew it was pointless to resist. If her master was summoned, he was summoned. And that was the final word.

"…He doesn't have a choice…"

"Wh..what do you mean, he doesn't have a choice?" Yugi gasped.

"Armor…" Dark Magician weakly whispered, painfully stretching out his hand before it fell limp on the cot again.

"None of us have a choice." She replied sadly, picking up the violet shoulder plates. Her eyes cast defeated shadows on the floor. "If the Lord summons us, we… we go… That's what we do…"

Yugi gasped.

… If the pharaoh draws and plays that card… his mind raced. It's all over… Dark Magician will… die…

He turned around quickly, and sprinted out of the tent.

"Wait! Where are you going!" Dark Magician Girl screamed.

"To stop this…" he cried as he ran, leaving the young spellcaster standing in the tent. "If I still can…"


	16. Confronting the Pharaoh

"Of all the duels…" Yugi cried as he ran back to his soul room. "Why right now?"

They both waited for this duel ever since the trip to the Domino City museum. Isis predicted the great battle between pharaoh and priest, and now, it was finally coming true. If he won, he would gain a portion of his memory. If he lost, he may never know where he came from.

And that is what made Dark Magician's tragic circumstances even more disturbing.

Yugi also knew his partner would fight his hardest. He would put his entire heart and soul into the duel. And that meant he would rely on his greatest monster.

"I… I can't let that happen…" Yugi whispered. "But I can't let the pharaoh down. He needs to win this duel! But… but not at the cost of the Dark Magician's life!"

Although troubled, Yugi knew what he had to do.

'Yugi?' he could hear the pharaoh's voice inside his heart. He must have sensed his fear. 'Is something the matter?'

"I'm sorry, pharaoh." He sighed. "I know your memories are important to you… but you don't know what you're about to do, and I… I need to stop you from doing something you're going to regret…"

He looked down from his mind, onto the duel. It was already well underway. Both decks had grown smaller, and their respective graveyards had grown larger. Seto Kaiba already had one blue eyes white dragon on the field, and from the contented look on his face, another one was probably waiting in his hand. The pharaoh, on the other hand, currently had no monsters on the field besides a queen's knight in defense mode. But swords of revealing light still had two turns in effect.

'What are you talking about, Aibou?' the pharaoh answered worriedly.

"Pharaoh… I…." He answered quickly, anxiously stumbling over his words. "You need to surrender the duel!"

'Why?' he asked, as he drew the next card. It was the king's knight. He summoned it in defense mode as well, allowing him to draw a jack's knight from his deck. He laid a couple of magic cards, and then ended his turn. From across the table, Kaiba laughed at the pharaoh's pathetic attempt at summoning a weak defense.

"Because if you don't… and you keep playing, we're going to lose something more important to you than the duel! Or… or even your memories!" Yugi shouted. "I'm sorry, pharaoh, but I can't let that happen… You have to listen to me!"


	17. One Last Chance

In the foyer, all was silent while the duel was in progress. The other monsters gathered around the door, but left ample space for the pair of magicians.

Despite Mystic Elf's orders and pleas, Dark Magician could not be swayed. The Lord's most loyal servant, he insisted upon being brought to the gates. If he were truly going to die, he would do so as he did before – in service to his lord and pharaoh.

Dark Magician Girl held his broken body in her lap, letting his head rest in her left arm. His eyes remained closed, as if he were meditating. But the young spellcaster knew his concentration was focused on the mere act of breathing. Each breath was forced, and painfully so.

She laid her hand gently over his heart. It fluttered.

"… You're bleeding, Master…" she finally whispered, staring down at his scarred face. With each labored breath, his wounds bled, dying the front of his purple tunic a dark shade of red.

"It… doesn't bother me…" he weakly lied, opening his eyes. His apprentice's face was blurred, but beautiful. Dark Magician gasped painfully. His entire body shook in her arms, though he managed to hold on to his wand.

"Master, please… Yugi is going to stop the duel… And then you can rest… and… and be better… and Mystic Elf will heal you…"

"It… won't stop." He coughed through his words, blood dribbling from his mouth. Dark Magician Girl carefully wiped his chin with her glove. "This… is… important duel for… the Lord…"

"I… I don't want you to die…"

"I… don't want to… to leave you… a..app…rentice. But you will make… a fine… m..master…"he coughed again, trying to say all that he felt needed to be said. "But my soul… was… a..and always will be… his eternal ser… servant…"

And with that, the magician smiled.

"I… am not afraid… I've done this once before… You do not remember… but I do…" His body suddenly went limp in her arms.

"Master!" she shook him gently, not knowing what else to do. "Master!!"

He gasped with what strength he had left. A light engulfed him, and despite Dark Magician Girl's scream, Dark Magician disappeared.

He had been summoned.


	18. Defeat or Destiny?

"NO!" Yugi shouted, banging on the soul room wall. "Not that card!"

The pharaoh had already drawn the dark magician into his hand, even as Yugi was speaking to him.

'Aibou, what is going on?'

"The dark magician!" Yugi shouted, tears streaming down his face. "If you play that card… He'll… he'll…"

The pharaoh paused.

'Yugi, I have the Book of Sacred Arts magic card on the field, as well as Mage Power.' He added. 'Swords of revealing light ends at the end of this turn. It is by the heart of the cards that I drew my most valuable card.'

"And that's why you can't play it!" Yugi argued.

He stared at the table. Kaiba now had two Blue Eyes White Dragons on his field. None of the pharaoh's knights could possibly stand up to its awesome power. He hated to think what injuries would befall them with one blast from the powerful dragon.

"Can't you feel his pain?" he whispered, visions from the Graveyard still haunting him.

'Yugi…'

Yugi could hear Kaiba shouting in the background. He was yelling at the pharaoh to get on with it, to make his move, that he didn't have all day…

"…Pharaoh… Can't you feel his pain?"

The pharaoh held the card of the dark magician in his right hand. The image on the card held such power, but he still didn't understand why. In the back of his mind, he could hear a voice, although it was extremely weak. – 'Pharaoh, my soul is your eternal servant.'

Suddenly, a river of visions flooded through the pharaoh's mind: A loyal priest, bowing at the throne. A noble friend who pushed a young prince out of the way of a deadly cobra. A powerful magician, standing firm against an onslaught of mind-devouring spirits, facing a man that looked like he could have been related to Ryou Bakura. A long lost spell, that a master spirit sorcerer can only cast once, and a massive axe tearing that loyal priest apart.

"Pharaoh! No!"

The pharaoh blinked, mystified by the strange visions. They seemed so familiar, and yet, so distant at the same time.

When he finally regained his senses, he looked down at the table. Somehow, without realizing it, he had set the dark magician in face-up attack mode, equipping him with the spell cards as planned. He played the card his partner had told him not to.

'Aibou…' he whispered. The visions stung his heart. And for the first time, he could feel the pain. He could feel it more strongly than any pain he'd ever felt before. 'What did I just do?'

Yugi rubbed his eyes, the tears burning with just as much fervor.

"… You… you…"

And before Yugi could finish, Kaiba began his turn.

With the swords of revealing light removed from play, Seto Kaiba drew his first card. His laughter was only a devious prelude of what was to come. He played a third Blue Eyes White Dragon on the field, and then merged them into one monster with Polymerization.

The dark magician was strong enough to stand before one dragon. But even with the spell cards behind it, it was not strong enough to stand up to the force of the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon.

Without even a moment of hesitation, Kaiba attacked, easily defeating the coveted dark magician card. The move was over before it even began.

"… No…" Yugi gasped, crying. His fists banged into the wall, shaking his fragile mind. "No…"

'Aibou…'

The visions of the priest grew more intense, until the pharaoh could no longer even hear his partner crying behind the soul room wall.

"You just… killed the Dark Magician."

He did not need to hear Yugi, though. Visions of inside the Deck assaulted him as well. For the first time, he saw everything… and he remembered.


	19. Removed from Play

With a burst of light, Dark Magician appeared within the Deck again, collapsing lifelessly onto the stone floor.

"Master!!"

Dark Magician Girl and Mystic Elf rushed to the entrance of the dueling arena, but there was little they could do. His fate was quite clear.

His bones were all but shattered by the sheer force of the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon's most powerful attack. The heat from the white lightning melted what was left of his tunic and armor to his broken skin. There was blood everywhere.

There was nothing that Mystic Elf, or even the most powerful healer, could do. Dark Magician was dead, a casualty of the destined duel.

"… Master…" Dark Magician Girl sobbed, cradling the lifeless body of her mentor. She pulled him into her lap, rocking him back and forth.

"I am sorry, Dark Magician Girl." The healer whispered. None of the other monsters dared to speak, not even Obnoxious Celtic Guardian. "I am truly sorry…"


	20. Memories

"Yugi!" Seto Kaiba shouted from across the table. "I'm waiting for you to make your move, or are you still in shock that my dragon destroyed your most precious magician?"

The memories started to fade as the pharaoh stared up at his opponent. Kaiba's Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon stared back at him.

"I told you to make your move!"

The pharaoh looked around, momentarily forgetting where he was. He… was dueling. His three closest friends were standing behind him. Mokuba was sitting off to the side, watching his brother.

"This was the destined duel that the tablet predicted…" The pharaoh whispered to himself, looking through his hand as though he had just drawn it for the first time. He glanced down at his deck, and at his graveyard. The dark magician card was sitting on top.

"Come on Yugi! You can turn this duel around!" Anzu shouted.

"It's just one monster! You've got stronger ones in there!" Jonouchi added. "Pull out a ritual card, and show Kaiba who's boss!"

"Yeah, come on, man!" Honda added his voice to the encouragement.

The pharaoh looked down, at the one jack's knight on his side of the field. A tear rolled down his face.

"Oh please." Kaiba snarled. "I kill one of your monsters, and you start crying? What kind of duelist are you?"

At that exclamation, the cheering stopped and his friends grew concerned.

"Yugi?"

"Are you okay?"

"… I am all right." The pharaoh answered timidly. He hadn't cried since he lost Yugi to the fiendish seal of oreichalchos, and it was still a very foreign emotion to him. "But Mahaado is not…"

Everyone exchanged confused glances.

"Who the hell is Mahaado?" Honda asked.

"A priest…"

"What?"

"He was a priest. He died fighting for me, while I was pharaoh."

Kaiba rolled his eyes at the mere mention of past-life nonsense, but the others listened intently to the spirit of the millennium puzzle.

"You remember…?" Anzu gasped. "But the duel… You have to win the duel to regain your memories. And the duel is still going on!"

"No." the pharaoh answered. "Isis only said that I had to defeat the soul of my most powerful priest."

"Uh… isn't that what you're doing?" Jonouchi asked. "You know, fighting Kaiba, the guy in the stone tablet."

"No. I already defeated that soul…" the pharaoh slammed his cards down on the table. Tears streamed down his cheeks. "When I played my dark magician card…"

"I don't get it…" Jonouchi whispered to Honda. "The guy on the tablet sure looked a lot like Kaiba."

"Don't look at me!"

"Yugi?"

"Yugi!" Kaiba shouted again. "Stop with this nonsense and finish our duel!"

The pharaoh weakly nodded, and placed his hand over his deck. It was the universal signal of conceding the match.

"What?!" Kaiba roared. He was furious! "You can't just give up! You wanted a duel! And we're just getting started!"

"The duel is already over." The pharaoh answered. "I have everything that I came here for."

He looked up, meeting eyes with Honda, Anzu, and Jonouchi. Carefully the pharaoh picked up his deck, and walked out of the room. No one said a word.

"If you wouldn't mind… I think I want to be alone."


	21. He will live on

That night, as their shared body slept, both Yugi and the pharaoh stood together outside their soul rooms. A group of duel monsters descended from above, carrying with them the body of Dark Magician.

"… Mahaado." The pharaoh lowered his head respectfully.

"… Dark Magician." Yugi whispered regretfully. "I… I tried to stop the duel…"

The monsters stopped, facing their Lord. Only Dark Magician Girl stepped forward. In her right hand, she clutched her master's wand. She could still feel his magic flowing through her wrist.

"Yugi… Lord…" she stuttered, her words sticking to her throat like tears to her eyes. "He… he gave is life in your service. Please… be merciful…"

Obnoxious Celtic Guardian, for once silenced by the circumstances, took the body of the spellcaster from Berfomet. Dark Magician, cloaked in new robes and fresh armor, looked as though he were merely sleeping. Mystic Elf had done what she could to preserve his body and clean the blood from his pale skin.

Dark Magician Girl lowered her head, as the warrior knelt before his Lord.

"He took quite a punch… That DM." Obnoxious Celtic Guardian sighed. "I mean… Dark Magician."

"Please, rise…" the pharaoh whispered, holding out his arms. Obnoxious Celtic Guardian carefully shuffled closer, passing the deceased magician forward. "I know what he has done… I remember now…"

"Remember?" Yugi whispered, looking up at the pharaoh. "Remember what?"

"My closest friend, and Egypt's strongest mage." He answered. "Priest Mahaado gave his life to save us from a terrible foe, and in doing so, he fused his ba with his ka. He melded his spirit with his soul."

"You don't mean…"

"Yes. In that act, three thousand years ago, he became the Dark Magician." The pharaoh continued. "So that his soul would forever be my eternal guardian."

The pharaoh glanced down at the body of his fallen friend.

"And now, he gave his life again… so that I could remember my past."

He looked back out over the army of duel monsters, those who had fought tirelessly for his behalf, no matter the consequences.

"We… will all give our lives to serve you…" Dark Magician Girl whispered, lowering her head. "I will gladly follow in Master's footsteps."

The pharaoh looked up.

"No." he answered sternly. "There has been enough death. Enough tragedy. Enough dueling."

The monsters were dumbfounded. They did not know to even respond.

"Rest, please." He whispered. "There will be no more duels. It is the very least I can do, considering all that has transpired…"

"Thank you." Mystic Elf finally replied.

"Yes. Thank you." Dark Magician Girl echoed, followed by the others. Even Kuribo chirped a gracious response. Their pain had ended, but not without tragedy.

"Perhaps one day, I will regain the rest of my memories." He offered a small smile. "And with them, a power great enough to restore life to my most powerful priest. In the meantime, his memory will live on."

Yugi wiped a tear from his cheek. The pharaoh turned, and carried the body into his soul room.

"It will live on… inside of me."


End file.
